Who is RPN Singh?

RPN Singh, now a former member of the Congress party, has joined the Bharatiya Janata Party as assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh near.

Once a prominent Congress politician, Ratanjit Pratap Narain Singh is likely to contest the February elections from the Padrauna and will challenge Swami Prasad Maurya, who quit the BJP earlier this month, according to various media reports.

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Who is RPN Singh?

Often called a loyalist for his party, RPN Singh served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly from the Padrauna constituency in Uttar Pradesh between 1996 and 2009. He belongs to the royal family of Padrauna.

He later became a Member of Parliament in the 15th Lok Sabha elections. However, he was defeated by BJP’s Rajesh Pandey in the next polls and entered a two-term slump in 2014 and 2019.

The 57-year-old politician has held several key positions in his time with the Congress party. These include the Secretary of All India Congress Committee; Minister of State in Road, Transport and Highways; Petroleum and Natural Gas; Corporate Affairs and Home Affairs.

RPN Singh, whose father CPN Singh was also a politician from the same constituency, is a part of Padrauna’s royal family.

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While announcing his exit from the Congress party on Tuesday, RPN Singh wrote in a social media post, “This is a new beginning for me and I look forward to my contribution to nation building under the visionary leadership & guidance of the Honourable Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi, BJP President Shri @JPNadda ji & Honourable Home Minister @AmitShah ji.” 

In a separate tweet, which carried a photo of resignation letter to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, RPN Singh wrote, “Today, at a time, we are celebrating the formation of our great Republic, I begin a new chapter in my political journey. Jai Hind.”